GPs are seeing up to ten patients a day who are lonely rather than ill,
according to research.

Three quarters of GPs questioned said that it was usual to see between one and
five patients a day in their surgeries primarily because they were desperate
for human contact.

However, some doctors had even higher rates of patients suffering loneliness
with one in ten saying that they saw up to ten patients a day who came in
for the company. Half said that they were not confident about whether they
could help their lonely patients.